Cast and Crew Bios

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

What are you doing on Thursday, September 20th around, say, 7:30 that night? If your answer isn't "going to hang out with the cast and crew of Plan 9 From Outer Space - LIVE AND UNDEAD at Columbia Place Stadium Cinemas to watch Plan 9 From Outer Space (the film) and the original Dawn of the Dead," then it's probably only because that was a really long statement and you had to stop to draw in some more breath before finishing it.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Most of the cast is back. Sadly, a few people couldn't return due to other obligations. We've got six new cast members - check out the cast and crew page for names now and, later, for bios.

We've got a lot planned over the next few weeks, so stay tuned for ticket information, further details, new promotional materials, and god only knows what else.

We look forward to seeing you again. Get ready for Plan 9 From Outer Space - Live and Undead 2.0. Bigger, better...undeader? More undead? Shit, I don't know. I should have thought of a catchy tagline. Plan 9 From Outer Space - Live and Undead 2.0 - Electric Boogaloo? No, wait...

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Yeah, we're back. More live, more undead. Bigger. I'm not going to say "better," because last time felt absolutely like perfection. But definitely bigger, because we're going to be on the Trustus Theatre's main stage.

Stay tuned for more details, because this is going to be crazy. Crazy awesome.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

This is it.We made it.Opening Night.The Flying Saucers are ready to soar, the Zombies are ready to rise, and we just sold the last advance ticket for every seat in the house, for the entire 3 Night Run.We are now officially Standing Room Only.

I will never be able to thank all of you enough.My best friends and executive producers, Chris and Nick, my stage manager, Crystal, my entire Cast, my entire Crew, our financial backers, our forthcoming audiences, and all of our friends and family members who made this possible.You're incredible, beautiful, and unbelievably generous - and I will never forget what you've done for me. Thank You All, a million times over.This is proof that dreams can be made into reality. All it takes is an idea. A vision. And some drive. And some focus. Determination, courage, and perseverance. And having really great friends who believe in you doesn't hurt, either.

I feel like a kid again, on the night before Halloween - and I've got the coolest costume ever, and I can't wait to put it on and go on a rampage, into the night.

The following is a copy of a recent interview I did with Cindi Boiter from 'Jasper' magazine, which pretty much sums everything up.

Thanks again, to all of you.We hope you enjoy the show.See you IN THE FUTURE.

1. What should viewers NOT expect from the show?

They should not expect to be bored. If at any time the audience gets bored, we’ve failed. But we have taken extreme measures to make sure that we do not fail.Everything is on our side. All we need now are the Live Earth Audiences.

2. What’s been the greatest challenge?

The greatest challenge has been fighting against time itself, our universal adversary. The amount of time, money, and sheer human effort that it took to get 25 people together in a room, all at one time, over the course of three months, over and over again, and the myriad setbacks and struggles that we encountered – and are still encountering, even in this final week – in bringing Ed Wood’s universe to life, have been unexpectedly Biblical in scope and difficulty.As a result, I have a completely renewed respect for Ed Wood, the man and the artist, and the trials that he faced in bringing his stories to the world. Creating art – whether visual, film, or performance – is not an easy job. Far from it. Our task, as artists, is to make it look easy.

3. Do you recommend folks who haven’t seen the film watch it (or Ed Wood) before attending?

Absolutely. I highly recommend seeing the film before coming to see the play. Don’t believe the claims of “Worst Movie Ever Made.” Although flawed, certainly, it is nevertheless incredibly entertaining. In my opinion, the “Worst Movie Ever Made” should equal “The Most Boring Movie Ever Made,” and Plan 9 is definitely not boring. Viewing the original film first will only enrich the experience of the “Live and Undead” version that we have created.

Another reason to watch Plan 9 from Outer Space, the movie beforehand, is that it may help you win your very own copy of it. We’ll be giving away 9 brand new special edition DVD copies of Ed Wood’s original film before each performance, based on correct answers to a list of ‘Plan 9′-related trivia questions devised by me.

And yes, I also highly recommend the film Ed Wood, starring Johnny Depp as Ed Wood. In addition to being a terrific film in its own right, Johnny Depp is especially brilliant as Ed Wood. I would also recommend any of Ed Wood’s other films, although I might be biased, since I’m a fan.

4. Who is the most likely of your actors to steal any given scene?

One of the things I really love about this story is that even though it’s a huge ensemble cast (18 people), there’s not a single thankless role. Everyone gets a chance to shine, everyone has great moments, and every character has classic Ed Wood dialogue – except, of course, for the non-speaking zombie roles. Their reward is that they’re the stars of the show in the way that the shark is the star of Jaws. They’re iconic, they’re everyone’s favorite characters from this story, everyone’s there to see them, and they didn’t have to memorize any lines.

Chris Bickel is incredible as Criswell, Mandy Applegate is perfect as Vampira, Scott Means is the ultimate Zombie, Larry Hembree is the best Bela Lugosi we ever could have hoped for, Nathan Dawson and Emily Meadows are adorable as Jeff and Paula Trent, and Nick Dunn is especially hilarious as Eros. And the list goes on and on. Everyone has the opportunity to steal any scene that they’re in.

If I had to choose one person, though, I would have to single out Gerald Floyd, as The Alien Ruler. He’s only onstage for about 7 minutes, but he is absolutely going to steal the entire show. He’s a comedic genius, and this role couldn’t be more perfect for him.

5. What is the appropriate alcohol to drink while watching the play — and will it be available at the Tapp’s Center?

Ed Wood’s drink of choice was Imperial brand Whisky, although I’m not sure if that even exists anymore.The Whig will be operating a cash bar at Tapp’s during the show, so whatever gets it happening for you, dive in.Just designate a driver, be responsible, and watch out for Flying Saucers.

6. Anything else you want to say?

The only other thing I’d like to say is that our main goal with this show, from the very beginning, was to have fun. We’ve been having fun with this story and laughing and having a blast in private rehearsals, nearly every night, for almost three months. And now we’re finally ready to let the rest of the world in on it. We want to share the laughs, the excitement, and the fun of what we’ve been creating all this time. We’re inviting everybody to this show as if it were a three-day party, with Plan 9 at the core of it. We’re going out there to honor Ed Wood and the spirit of his work, and to just have fun with each other. We want you to have just as much fun as we’re having onstage, and we hope to see you there.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

We'll be giving away 9 brand new DVD copies of Ed Wood's 1959 classic, 'Plan 9 From Outer Space', before each performance.Along with a copy of our poster by Dre Lopez, it's the perfect souvenir to take home from your 'Plan 9' Near-Undeath Experience.This is a special edition version that includes extra features, such as interviews with Johnny Depp, who played Ed Wood in the movie, 'Ed Wood', and more!After my Directorial Introduction Speech, I'll be posing 19 questions about the film to the audience. Whoever answers a question correctly wins a copy of the movie.If you're already a 'Plan 9' fan, these are things you should know. If you're not that familiar with the movie, rent it or watch it online today!Or, you can just review the following Top Secret confidential random answer key, and create your own cheat sheet before the show.The only problem is, you won't know what the questions are, unless you're as psychic as Criswell...

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Want to know more about your favorite cast member? Now you can...assuming that Army brass hasn't muzzled them. Just click on the "Cast and Crew Bios" tab at the top of the page and start reading. More bios will be coming in the next few days, so keep checking back.